1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic message signs and displays, and more particularly, to a portable foldable electronic display with illuminable elements. One possible use is to provide informational or emergency messages to the public.
2. Background
Police officers and emergency personnel use a variety of means (e.g. signs and displays, flares, flashing lights, flashlights) for warning approaching traffic of an accident or emergency situation. The illuminable electronic variable message sign is one of the most effective devices for warning approaching traffic and communicating appropriate instructions to the traffic. To enhance safety, it is important for police or emergency personnel to be able to dispatch and deploy a variable message sign at the accident or emergency scene as quickly as possible, as the likelihood of citizen and emergency personnel injury and/or death increases with delays in variable message sign dispatch and deployment. For optimal effectiveness, the signs are mounted so that text or graphic messages can be seen at a distance, generally elevated or optimally positioned.
Many types of message signs are known in the art. For instance, non-illuminable caution signs that are folded to facilitate portability are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,612 (Williams); U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,249 (Kuntz); U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,866 (Leibowitz); U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,909 (Rabkin); and U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2002/0005826 (Pederson). Some electronic variable message signs are permanently installed on roadways or on permanently positioned trailers and are only useful for situations in close proximity to each sign's location or for general informational purposes. Other large message signs, which are mounted in the back of highway maintenance vehicles or are mounted to tow-behind trailers for that purpose are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,698 (Nicholson et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 6,414,650 (Nicholson et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,996 (Nicholson et al.); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,175,342 (Nicholson et al.). These signs are portable and, as such, are suited for conveying messages to motorists on a relatively temporary basis, when time allows for their deployment and local conditions allow for their setup and positioning.
The above-mentioned art has a number of shortcomings that detract from user and citizen safety. Most notably, the message signs mounted on trailers are cumbersome and difficult to set up, often requiring more than one person and long setup times incompatible with emergency situations. The signs require a large vehicle, generally a truck, for towing. If the truck cannot get to the scene of an accident, possibly due to congestion or unavailability of the tow vehicle, or the trailer cannot be utilized due to space limitations or limited positioning options at the scene of an incident, the sign is not helpful to the incident. In situations where the message signs can be deployed, their lengthy setup times prevent the signs from being deployed in a timely fashion. For the entire time the sign is being set up the first responders to the accident scene are exposed to increased danger due to uninformed approaching traffic. Many incidents are of a short duration and by the time a message sign can be deployed, the incident has been resolved. Moreover, the signs are not immediately accessible in the event of an emergency, as their large size dictates that they be stored in a remote storage facility. As a result of these shortcomings, law enforcement, first responders, and other emergency management personnel who rely on message signs for safety experience difficulty in communicating with the public on short notice.
A related significant shortcoming of the message signs is that they do not allow an operator to quickly display a stored message and/or a newly created message loaded at an incident with information specific to the current situation. The message signs fail to provide a means for programming, modifying or changing a message quickly and simply, to address specific or customized roadway or emergency messages. These deficiencies are due, in part, to the fact that the signs are complicated to program, and frequently include a tethered controller that must be kept in a locked compartment on the trailer or be integral to the sign itself in order to prevent unauthorized access to the control over a displayed message.
A further shortcoming of the current message signs is that they cannot be used independently of a trailer. By design, the signs are a component of a trailer message system. As a result, a message sign cannot be mounted directly to a vehicle or to a portable or stationary pole. In this restrictive mounting scheme, the trailer's position and orientation are both integral parts of the sign's operation, limiting the ability to rapidly deploy the message sign in an optimal position during urgent situations.
A still further shortcoming of message signs known in the art is that they fail to provide a secure means for preventing messages from being changed inadvertently or by unauthorized users without having the controls secured in a locked compartment. To be tamper resistant, it is important for a sign to have mechanical and/or electronic locking mechanisms to ensure that the intended message is not changed by unauthorized personnel.
Therefore, there is a need for a fully portable, foldable electronic display for reliably communicating messages to the public for the control of road and highway traffic, while protecting officer and citizen safety.